


(I counted to ten) till you attracted attention

by orphan_account



Category: Suits (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-27
Updated: 2011-07-27
Packaged: 2017-10-21 19:45:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/229043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He visits Mike because Mike won't visit him. He wants to tell him that he doesn't have to take this from Harvey anymore, not if he doesn't want to, but instead he just reverts to being a jerk with good intentions and Mike is scared of him but sits still long enough for Louis to leave and then, later that night, after work, Louis always has that extra drink.</p>
            </blockquote>





	(I counted to ten) till you attracted attention

**Author's Note:**

> (written for [this prompt](http://suitsmeme.livejournal.com/1110.html?thread=604758#t604758))
> 
> this fic. I didn't think it would be this difficult to finish when I first saw this amazing prompt but half-way through writing it I began feeling like I wanted to pull my hair out and it took a lot for me to stop myself from deleting most of it and starting over. for some reason, everyone - especially Harvey - seemed horribly out of character and I'm not sure what happened but, hopefully, I fixed it. or patched it up enough that it's okay if you're staring at it from a few feet away. I feel awful that this took so long. I feel awful that it might not be lengthy enough. I JUST FEEL REALLY AWFUL OKAY. I hope I didn't let you down, detailed!anon. (also: I apologize for any grammar/spelling/etc. mistakes. I will be sure to fix them if I see them).
> 
> (seriously, if anybody else wants to tackle this prompt, please do because you will probably do a much better job at it than I did)

Ever since Mike has shown up, Louis has started drinking just a little bit more. Not like a fish or maybe a sailor or whoever out there was a cliche drinker but more like he has just one more extra glass when he thinks that maybe he's done. It sounds a lot worse than it actually is but he thinks the part people should be concerned about (not that anybody should _be concerned_ ) is the "drinking alone" bit of the whole ordeal. Not that it had changed because, yeah, he was the kind of guy who attracted alone-ness (and how _depressing_ does that sound?) but these days… drinking alone just isn't something he should be doing.

He blames Harvey (he _always_ blames Harvey, even when it isn't his fault and, really, is it ever Harvey's fault?) for his extra drink every night (or every other night, it really depends on the week). Or maybe it's Mike's fault. For, you know, being with Harvey (and not _being_ with Harvey but just… being there. With him. As his associate. _His_ associate and, shit, doesn't _that_ taste bitter). Harvey doesn't deserve Mike. Not really. Louis tells himself that a lot, actually. Harvey doesn't _deserve_ to have Mike. Mike is brilliant under all the youth and gangly limbs and stuttering and suits that don't fit.

The worst part is that Harvey _knows_ that. He knows it really well. It would probably be better if he didn't know because, then, at least, all the carrot-on-a-string-just-out-of-reach praise and "do it yourself"s and "figure it out"s would just be because Harvey is ridiculously oblivious or stupid but, of course, Harvey _isn't_ ridiculously oblivious or stupid and Harvey knows and he does it anyway. It's kind of horrible to watch and Louis feels kind of shitty supposedly treating Mike the way he does (an asshole, some (everybody) may say) considering how extra shitty Harvey treats _him_ but Louis doesn't really know how else to handle feeling conflicted and feeling jealous and just tired (physically and mentally and everything in between but mostly just mentally).

He visits Mike because Mike won't visit him. He wants to tell him that he doesn't have to take this from Harvey anymore, not if he doesn't want to, but instead he just reverts to being a jerk with good intentions and Mike is scared of him but sits still long enough for Louis to leave and then, later that night, after work, Louis always has that extra drink.

Mike needs a friend (he has a friend, he has Rachel, Louis knows that, he knows how close they are, how they eat lunch together and help each other out so, okay, he needs _another_ friend) _and_ a mentor, not either/or or whatever the hell Harvey is to Mike these days (if Louis has to define it, he'd settle on obnoxious older brother/awe-struck younger brother). Louis knows he can be that.

Apparently, thinking about it, Louis knows a lot of things.

But isn't that always the case.

\- -

Louis doesn't remember why he's on this floor or why he's standing in this particular hallway or why he's so close to Harvey's office or why this mini-lawyer is _talking to him_ (because this guy has to realize by now that Louis isn't paying attention and if he wasn't so agitated, Louis would probably find it incredibly hilarious) but he's there and he can't help but notice (in that "oh well, my gaze kind of slipped" kind of way) that Mike is there too.

Mike and Harvey are having a discussion - a discussion that seems to require numerous faces and gestures and file waving and unfinished sentences (if the way Mike would open his mouth and then pause was anything to go by). Louis can't tell what either of them are saying (it doesn't really matter, does it?) but he knows it ends with Mike deflating like a balloon that's slowly leaking air and Harvey turning away and sitting down and going back to work. It ends with Mike leaving and Donna not even looking at him, like he wasn't really there, like Mike is Harvey's invisible friend and she indulged her boss every now and then and allowed his crazy to peek out. Mike is looking at the papers in his hand like he's wishing they would fill themselves out or maybe disintegrate so he would have an excuse not to have it anymore and Louis can see he's probably moving towards Rachel's office with the kind of hope that someone in desperate need of a shoulder to lean on carries around with them.

And, really, that's the final straw.

Louis tries to get Mike's attention, tries to give him a reassuring glance and Mike sees him but all he does is frown and look kind of confused and then keep walking and Louis has had about enough of this lawyer still jabbering at him.

"Why don't you take your little one-sided conversation over to someone with insomnia." And then he walks away and the guy looks angry and stunned but Louis is finding it so very difficult to care (and, really, that's not even the best he can come up with but he's only half-paying attention).

He moves past Donna and completely ignores her protests and quaint attempts at trying to stop him without getting up from behind her precious desk and expensive chair and Louis smiles to himself, just a bit, because, yeah, how does she like the taste of her own medicine (sure, just a few days ago he had wanted her for his very own but that was before she started crying at him and that was pretty much a dealbreaker). Harvey looks legitimately surprised when Louis comes bursting through his door to stand squarely in front of him. He stares past Louis, pointedly towards Donna, and Louis doesn't know what Donna mouths or the charades she plays with her hands but Harvey doesn't like it and he's getting ready to say something that only he'll think is clever (or maybe he's just going to tell Louis to get out because what's the point in being clever if he doesn't have an audience) but Louis puts up his hand and Harvey actually shuts up.

"You know, Harvey," Louis starts, taking a step forward, and he hasn't really rehearsed this, not like he does before going into court but he figures it's too late to leave and write up a couple drafts of this speech and then come back so he might as well just go where it takes him, "You're a fucking hypocrite." He pauses, lets it sink in and then continues before Harvey can respond, "I don't know how you can come to me, come into _my_ office, humiliate _me_ in front of other associates, in front of clients, telling me to leave Mike alone, telling me to lay off, to stop treating him like a, what was the word you used on Monday? Douchebag. Right. A douchebag. You stand there with your hands in your pockets and this stern look because, oh, how _dare I_ be mean to your pet. Yes, Harvey. Your pet. You tell him not to shit on the carpet but you don't tell him where he _can_ and then you have the _audacity_ to get angry when someone else does. You've left him to fend for himself, you've made it perfectly clear you're unwilling to help and, yet, when he runs to his one friend here or, god forbid, me, you act as if we've just stuck a knife in your back. I don't know if you're aware of this or not Harvey but, if Mike should so choose, it would only be two pieces of paper and a couple of signatures before he's working with me and Colin is leaving in a week so I'll have a space wide open. And if you don't think Mike would do it then we know two entirely different people. Here you are with this kid, this brilliant kid with ridiculous potential and what do you do? You put praise up on a vine, just out of reach and you make him keep jumping for it and jumping and jumping. Eventually, he's going to get exactly what he wants from you and he's going to find that all he's got are sour grapes."

He takes a deep breath and holds Harvey's stare and then adjusts his sleeves. He turns and leaves because he's even more disinterested than usual in what Harvey might have to say back to him. He can't help sneaking a glance though when he rounds the corner, peering past the wall, and Harvey - other than a heavy frown and hands curled into fists - hasn't moved.

\- -

So, Louis starts to be a little nicer to Mike (not that he ever thought he was being particularly cruel to the guy but that's not what anybody else might say so he just makes sure to slather on the charm and smiles and soft voice when Mike is around and then Louis takes it out on Gregory later (not that Gregory minds and Louis thinks he might have to explore that on a later date when he isn't too busy trying to gently steal away Harvey's associate).

At first, Mike is wary and Louis doesn't blame him but he keeps persisting and Mike inches closer and closer to relaxing and sometimes, when Louis approaches, Mike's shoulders don't shoot up towards his ears or his hands don't seize up or his eyes don't widen a little bit and he actually looks kind of happy to see him in that "oh man, I need some help here and you're just the guy I was looking for" way and Louis kind of takes it in (he doesn't bask, but it might certainly seem like it) before doing anything because, yeah, this is what he needed (this is probably what Mike needed too because Louis sees when Harvey approaches; it's like the guy has a clicker in one hand and a treat in the other and it's kind of sad and amusing but mostly frustrating).

Harvey notices (of course he does) and so does Donna (unexpected) and the two of them share these kind of _looks_ when they don't think Louis can see them and they're nervous.

They should be.

\- -

Harvey is hovering.

Harvey is hovering and that makes Louis just a bit happier (he still has that extra drink but he's just grown so accustomed to it that he kind of feels like he needs it and, shit, is this what an addiction is? He should probably do something about that because he didn't give Mike the whole "my body is a temple" speech for no reason and the last thing Mike needs to find out is that the guy who's stealing him away from Harvey isn't much better off in the end).

Harvey's doing this thing where he follows Mike around when he can and watches him run to Louis for help and then pulls these faces of betrayal and concern and, once in awhile, Harvey actually comes into Louis' office and digs deep for an excuse to take Mike away.

Mike goes with him (every single time, he goes, with a shrug or a sigh because it's _still_ Harvey, he can't say no, the guy got him this job in the first place and they have these silent conversations with their eyes like they've got some secret that Harvey's overly concerned about being revealed and Louis manages to store this in the back of his head, file it away for later) and sometimes he's gone for an hour or maybe the whole day but it doesn't really matter to Louis because when Mike has an issue with filling something out or there's a client who's being particularly problematic or acting like a huge dick, seventy-five percent of the time Mike is coming to _him_ for help or advice and, most of the time, Louis is able to fix it or, at least, patch it up enough that Mike can do the rest of the repairs himself, which is more than Louis ever witnessed Harvey doing for him.

\- -

Mike is thriving. He's thriving and it's _killing_ Harvey.

"What did you do to him," Harvey asks Louis one afternoon, about four or so weeks after Louis had delivered his diatribe (and really, it felt longer than that but Louis is used to time getting muddled in his head sometimes because he practically lives at the office every now and again and, even with a clock around, it's difficult to keep track) and put a bit of a crack in Harvey's foundation.

"I made him better."

"He's still my associate," Harvey reminds him and, yeah, he's right. Nobody's signed anything. Officially, yes, okay, Mike still "belongs" to Harvey.

"And? Do you know how many cases he's won for me since he's started spending more time in my office? Twelve. Twelve cases, Harvey. How many did he help you with? How many did he _win_? One or two?" Louis listens to Harvey's uncharacteristic stunned silence. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"You can't have him," is all Harvey says, this look on his face like he's thinking about all the different ways he can use his hands to kill him or maybe he's trying to decide the best place to punch him that won't get him fired and Louis snorts because, really?

"I've already got him."


End file.
